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Alumni honored for achievement

Posted
November 16, 2010

The University of Minnesota Medical Alumni Society has selected four exceptional physicians to receive two of its awards in 2010. Please join us in congratulating and thanking these deserving doctors for their work in the service of the medical profession. New this year, the Minnesota Medical Foundation is recognizing alumni for philanthropic support of the Medical School as well. All awardees were honored at an alumni celebration banquet on October 15.

The Harold S. Diehl Award

This lifetime achievement award is granted to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Medical School, the University, and the community. It was established in honor of the Medical School’s fifth dean, Harold Sheely Diehl, M.D.

James H. Moller, M.D.

A member of the resident alumni Class of 1961, Moller is a pioneer in pediatric cardiology. Children around the world with heart conditions have benefited from his research, the knowledge and guidance he gave his many trainees, and his exemplary leadership. Moller, a University of Minnesota faculty member since 1965, has led long-term studies of children born with heart defects, and his findings have contributed to notably improved care and survival rates today. Now, as many of these children are living well into adulthood, Moller codirects a University clinic that eases the transition for patients from pediatric to adult cardiology care.

Robert F. Premer, M.D.

Described by his peers as a seminal thinker and superb educator, Premer spent his entire career as chief of orthopaedic surgery at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, one of six sites that are part of the University of Minnesota’s orthopaedic surgery residency program. Premer, a member of the Medical School Class of 1950, instilled in his trainees an enthusiasm for knowledge of orthopaedics and the world in general. Many of his former students hold prominent positions in orthopaedic surgery throughout the country today.

The Distinguished Alumni Award

This award recognizes Medical School alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their local, regional, or national communities through medical practice, teaching, research, or other humanitarian activities.

Bonita Falkner, M.D.

A member of the Medical School Class of 1967, Falkner is a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader in childhood hypertension. She has explored the field through basic research, prevention strategies, and clinical trials of treatment. Her sophisticated investigations have greatly advanced the understanding of blood pressure regulation and hypertension risk factors in children and minority populations—and have had significant clinical implications. Colleagues describe Falkner, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University’s Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, as a visionary leader and an outstanding mentor with a calm and systematic approach to complex issues.

Robert L. Sadoff , M.D.

A 1959 graduate of the Medical School, Sadoff is known as one of the principal architects of contemporary forensic psychiatry. In addition to earning his medical degree, Sadoff received a master of science in psychiatry and attended law school. He currently is a clinical professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as well as director of the school’s forensic psychiatry fellowship program, which he founded in 2009. Colleagues say that his interest in the intersection of forensic psychiatry, legal medicine, and ethics, along with his intelligence and warmth, makes him a practitioner to emulate.

Alumni Philanthropy and Service Award

New in 2010, this Minnesota Medical Foundation award recognizes Medical School graduates who have made significant contributions to their fields of medical practice as well as significant contributions to the Medical School through philanthropy.

James H. House, M.D.

A member of the Class of 1963, House is an inspiring teacher, enthusiastic alumnus, and generous philanthropist. He has established himself as a leader in orthopaedic surgery, particularly for his expertise in hand surgery. In addition, House and his wife, Janelle, have made significant gifts to the Medical School, much of it through the Dr. James and Janelle House Scholarship for medical students and the James House Hand Surgery Education Fund. Beyond his personal philanthropic support, House is a passionate champion of student scholarships, inspiring and encouraging many other Medical School alumni to become donors.

Arnold S. Leonard, M.D., Ph.D.

A graduate of the Class of 1955 and a leader in pediatric surgery, Leonard is credited with pioneering several medical procedures—including a revolutionary technique for correcting a condition called pectus excavatum in children. He also has invented multiple medical devices, including the Leonard Long Intestinal Tube and the Leonard Double Lumen Central Catheter, the most frequently used catheter in cancer patients today. Through the Arnold S. Leonard Cancer Research Fund, he has raised more than $4 million for cancer research at the University, including his own contributions and proceeds from fundraising events he has organized.

Richard L. Lindstrom, M.D.

An internationally recognized leader in ophthalmology and a member of the Class of 1972, Lindstrom holds more than 35 patents and has developed solutions, lenses, and instruments that are used in clinical practices globally. Along with his wife, Jacalyn, Lindstrom also has given more than $2.2 million to the Medical School. He endowed the Richard L. Lindstrom Anterior Segment Research Fellowship and designated a portion of his estate to establish the Richard L. Lindstrom, M.D., Research Chair in Ophthalmology. In addition, the Lindstroms made the leadership gift that created the Dean’s Scholars Program, which provides full scholarships to Minnesota’s top Medical School applicants.